Kerry Meets With Netanyahu for Second Time in 24 Hours

U.S. secretary of state shuttles back and forth between Jerusalem and Amman, trying to push Israel and the Palestinians to renew peace talks; he will meet with Netanyahu a third time, and again with the PA's Abbas, on Saturday.

For the second time in 24 hours, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in person with United States Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday to discuss renewing the peace process with the Palestinians.

This second meeting was held at Jerusalem's David Citadel Hotel on Friday afternoon, as part of Kerry's campaign to foster dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians and renew talks. It is still unclear if Kerry has been close to reaching a breakthrough with either side.

Kerry met with Netanyahu for four hours on Thursday night in the Yitzhak Rabin Suite at the David Citadel Hotel. Most of the meeting was conducted just between the two of them.

Immediately after the meeting, at close to 2:00 A.M., Kerry returned to Amman in a convoy and at around noon on Friday he met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for close to three hours. Sources in Kerry's entourage said that the conversation between Kerry and Abbas went well, and focused on the importance and need for progress on the peace process.

After his meeting with Abbas, Kerry boarded a helicopter and flew back to Jerusalem to meet with Netanyahu a second time on Friday, in a meeting that continued for two and a half hours. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror, special envoy Yitzhak Molcho and Cabinet Secretary Avichai Mandelblit also participated in the meeting.

After the meeting with Netanyahu, Kerry is set to meet with President Shimon Peres, who will also host him at a Sabbath meal at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.

On Saturday, Kerry will return to Amman and meet again with Abbas. Kerry will then return to Jerusalem on Saturday night for an additional meeting with Netanyahu, his third meeting with the prime minister in 48 hours.

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